Surprisingly, some people find a lot of pleasure in politics. They love catching the latest news through their favorite news app and social media platforms. They are like happy fishermen who cast their lines in a lake of hungry fish and quickly receive the elated reward of reeling in the big one.
Others, however, approach politics with a mix of frustration and exhaustion. They’re like fishermen who are content to sit peacefully by the lake, their lines gently dangling in the water, dreading the disruption that comes with the hassle of actually catching a fish.
Wherever you may be on that political spectrum, the reality is that we are all sitting by a lake where the hungry fish are already frenetically jumping out of the water and requiring our attention whether we want to give it or not.
Isolationism, though appealing to those of us who prefer the path of quietude, is really not a good option for the Christ follower. But neither is the road to re-centering our lives around the clanging bell of political clatter.
So, what is a path forward in our culture inebriated with the pull of politics? Let me share several suggestions:
- 1. Keep the main thing the main thing. We have a great commission to go into all the world and make disciples of Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20). We have a great commandment to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39). Our political posture should flow from our Christ-like position of truth and grace (John 1:14).
- 2. Be subject to the governing authorities. Whether Democrats or Republicans rule the day, ultimately, God rules overall, and we are called to subject ourselves to those over us (Romans 13:1-7). Yes, if there is direct conflict between those governing and God’s governance, we are instructed to “obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). But even under the evil regime of the Roman Empire in the first century AD, the Scripture taught “to be submissive to rulers and authorities” (Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-15).
- 3. Don’t let your disposition contradict your position. Our position is that we are Christ followers, and our disposition should reflect His life of humility, sacrifice, courage, grace, and truth (Philippians 2:5-8). We may deeply disagree with someone’s political position, but don't let that disagreement lead to a non-Christlike disposition.
- 4. Spend more time in Scripture than on social media. This is a very practical and powerful suggestion. When our culture shapes our opinions and worldviews more than Christ, we’re in trouble. Karl Barth, the famous German theologian (1886-1968), is known for saying, “Preach Christ with the Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other.” The only problem is that the two should not carry equal weight. We should be formed by Christ (Galatians 4:19) and in-formed by politics. Not the other way around.
Whatever your political leanings may be, lean into Jesus first and foremost, and then you can more accurately live out and share the Gospel in a politically divided world.
